Malaysian People

Malay

Half of the population of Malaysia today are the Malays. The Malays originated from the Malayo-Polynesian group of races. They first reached the Peninsula around 2000bc from Yunnan, China.

Due to many influences from the neighbouring areas like Jawa, Sumatra, the Indian sub-continent, China, the Middle East and the West, the cultures of the peninsula Malays have been shaped and reshaped. This is probably due to the strategic position for trade, in consequence made its custom and social identities vary.

The unifying factors among the Malays then and now is the religion of Islam. Today in Malaysia, almost all Malays are Muslims.

Despite the Islamic dominancy in their daily lives, the animistic and Hindu influence still lingers on, leaving an imprint on their customs and rituals, traditional beliefs and a fusion of cultures which manifests in arts, festival and important ceremonies.

Examples of ceremonies that demonstrate the extraordinary cultural merging are the Malay wedding ceremony and the piercing of earlobes, both of which incorporate elements of Hindu tradition.

Prominent festivals celebrated include Hari Raya Puasa, Hari Raya Haji/Korban, Awal Muharram and Maulud Nabi.


The Malays, along with the indigenous people, form a group called bumiputera, a Bahasa Malaysia term which literally means "sons of the soil", which accords them special privileges as enshrined in the Constitution.

Chinese

It was in the 15th Century Melaka when the Chinese first came to Malaysia. The famous entourage of Ming Princess Hang Li Po established a community that is known today as the Babas and Nyonyas.



But it was not until the 19th century that the Chinese had the biggest impact on the social and religious landscape of this nation, as migrants from southern China came in droves to seek their fortune in the tin mines of Perak and Selangor.

At first, the Chinese immigrants made their livelihood as labourers, but soon many ventured into trade and industry, thriving in the former Straits Settlements and Singapore, showing an almost natural head for business.

But the settlement of the Chinese migrants wasn't all smooth sailing. In 1948 a Communist insurrection, known as the Emergency period, began. The Communist guerrillas largely recruited from among the Chinese population, employed terrorist tactics, which prompted the resettlement of nearly half a million Chinese by the British. The insurgency eventually failed, and the Emergency was declared over in 1960.

Ironically, the Emergency spurred the movement for Independence, which, through the efforts of leaders from all the major ethnic communities in Malaysia, was realised in 1957. The first government was a loose coalition of Malay, Chinese and Indian parties called the Alliance party. This successful multiethnic political collaboration continues till today.


Today, the Chinese form about 35% of the total population. Many still retain ties with their ancestral homeland, but ask any one of them, and they will tell you that they are Malaysians.

Festivals and special occasions that the community celebrates include the Lantern Festival, Cheng Beng and of course, Chinese New Year, the time when the streets come alive with spectacular sights like the lion dance.

Indian

In Malaysia, the smallest of the three main ethnic groups are the Indians. They only form 10% of the country's population including Tamil and Malayalees whilst Telegu-speaking people make up over 85% of the people of Indian origin in the country.

However, when India came under British rule, Indian labourers were sent to Malaya to work on sugar cane and coffee plantations and later in the rubber and oil palm estates. Some of them also came to work on the construction of buildings, roads and bridges.

Indians first came to Malaya for barter trade, especially in the former Straits Settlements of Singapore, Melaka and Penang.

These labourers were mostly Hindu Tamils from Southern India and they were managed by kanganis (overseers) and mandurs (foreman) who were from the upper caste Tamils.

Sri Lankan Tamils came to Malaya as white-collar workers, holding jobs like clerks and hospital assistants. As for the Punjabis from Punjab (North India), most of them joined the army in Malaya.

One of the main reasons the Indians willingly left their homeland for Malaya was because of the caste system being practiced in their country. Under the system, those who are born into the lower castes can never improve their standing in society.


The Indians who came to Malaysia brought with them the Hindu culture - its unique temples, delicious cuisine and colourful garments. Hindu tradition remains strong until today in the Indian community of Malaysia.

There's also the Chitty community in Melaka - similar to the Babas and Nyonyas, it is the result of the integration between the Indian immigrants and local culture. Though they remain Hindu, the Chitties speak Bahasa Malaysia and their women dress in sarong kebayas instead of sarees.

However other Indian Hindus retain their vernacular languages and dialects. The community celebrates two main festivals - Deepavali and Thaipusam - and many other smaller religious events each year. Indians in Malaysia mainly speak Tamil, Malayalam, Telegu and some Hindi.

The Orang Asli

The term transliterates as 'original people' or 'first people'. They are the indigenous minority people of Peninsular Malaysia. The Orang Asli, however, is not a homogeneous group. Each has its own language and culture, and perceives itself as different from the others.



In terms of language, some of the northern Orang Asli groups (especially the Senoi and Negrito groups) speak languages - now termed Aslian languages - which suggest a historical link with the indigenous people in Burma, Thailand and Indo-China.

The Orang Asli different distinctively from each other. The Orang Laut, Orang Seletar and Mah Meri, for example, live close to the coast and are mainly fishermen. Some Temuan, Jakun and Semai people have taken to permanent agriculture and now manage their own rubber, oil palm or cocoa farms.
About 40 per cent of the Orang Asli population - including Semai, Temiar, Che Wong, Jah Hut, Semelai and Semoq Beri - however, live close to, or within forested areas. Here they engage in swiddening (hill rice cultivation) and do some hunting and gathering. These communities also trade in petai, durian, rattan and resins to earn cash incomes.

A very small number, especially among the Negrito groups (such as Jahai and Lanoh) are still semi-nomadic, preferring to take advantage of the seasonal bounties of the forest. A fair numbers also live in urban areas and are engaged in both waged and salaried jobs.

Undeniably, the Orang Asli is the earliest inhabitants in the peninsula, many of which able to retain their identity due to their isolation from the world outside

Sarawak Malays
The Malays have been in Sarawak for a long time and they form 25% of the population of the state. The Malays originally migrated from Sumatra. Indeed some of the Malay kampungs in Kuching still bear the names of Javanese towns from which the inhabitants originated.

The Sarawak Malays speak a different dialect from the Malays of Peninsular Malaysia (called Bahasa Sarawak), and have a certain amount of cultural and historical affinities with the Brunei Malays (Sarawak was after all notionally part of the territory of the Sultan of Brunei before James Brooke came along).

The Malays traditionally lived along the coasts, where they were fishermen, and the majority of Malays in Sarawak still live along the coast - mostly around Kuching and Limbang, near Brunei. The Sarawak Malays have been Muslim since around the 14th Century, and their faith is very important to them.

The Malay kampungs along the Sarawak River still contain a lot of beautiful traditional wooden Malay houses, and the people are very warm and friendly. This makes walking through the kampung a very pleasant experience. The Islamic Museum (on Jalan P.Ramlee, just behind the new wing of the Sarawak Museum) is a beautiful former colonial building, which contains a number of interesting displays and provides a good introduction to Sarawak Malay culture and religion.

The rest of Sarawak's population is made up of a fascinating mixture of other indigenous groups. The more significant of these include the following:
Bidayuh
The Bidayuh is well known as a peace-loving and easygoing people, it was their gentleness that so enchanted the first White Rajah. They are also famous for their hospitality. The Bidayuh are reputed to be the best makers of tuak, or rice wine.



But it was because of their mild disposition that the Bidayuh was dislodged by the influx of new tribes. The Bidayuh retreated from the lowlands to seek refuge in the mountainous areas, which were easier to defend. They built fortified longhouses, which led Europeans to call them "Land Dayaks" to distinguish them from the Iban - the "Sea Dayaks.

The Bidayuhs' meekness belies their headhunting past. In their baruk, a roundhouse that rises about 1.5 metres off the ground, the Bidayuh store their skulls. The baruk also served as a gathering place for when the tribe was under attack.

Although of the same ethnic group, the Bidayuh speak a number of different but related dialects that to some extent is mutually intelligible. Some of the Bidayuh still practice traditional religions, but Christian missionaries have made converts among them.

Iban
The Iban are the most numerous of Sarawak's ethnic groups forming 30% of the state's population, and are sometimes erroneously referred to as the "Sea Dayaks" because of their skill with boats. The Iban actually originated from deep within the Kalimantan hinterland. They first crossed into Sarawak in the mid 16th century - a mass migration of people that lasted until the early 1900s. The first Iban settlements in Sarawak were at Lubok Antu (approximately four hour's drive from Kuching).

The Iban are the most numerous of Sarawak's ethnic groups forming 30% of the state's population, and are sometimes erroneously referred to as the "Sea Dayaks" because of their skill with boats. The Iban actually originated from deep within the Kalimantan hinterland. They first crossed into Sarawak in the mid 16th century - a mass migration of people that lasted until the early 1900s. The first Iban settlements in Sarawak were at Lubok Antu (approximately four hour's drive from Kuching).

The Iban then settled in nearby river valleys such as Batang Ai, the Skrang River, Saribas, the Layar Basin. In a second wave of migration in the 1800s, the Iban settled on the Rajang River and the lower reaches of the Baram River. By the early 1900s the Ibans had migrated as far across the state as Limbang, Tatau and Kemena Rivers.



Although the majority of Iban are nowadays Christian, many traditional rituals are still practised, including the Gawai Dayak (harvest festival), Gawai Kenyalang (hornbill festival) and Gawai Antu (festival of the dead). The traditional Iban religion is a fusion of animistic and Hindu-Buddhist beliefs and they worship a triumvirate of gods under the authority of Singalang Burung, the bird-god of war.

Iban women are superb weavers, using the back strap loom, while Iban men are excellent silversmiths, and are famous for their colourful ngajat dance and their majestic and imposing tattoos. The Iban have a strong tradition of hospitality, and a longhouse visit is an unforgettable experience.
Melanau
Legend has it that the name "Melanau" was given to the inhabitants of the coastal swamp flats and river banks of Central Sarawak by one of the Sultans of Brunei.

In their heartland of Mukah, the Melanau have abandoned living in their traditional tall houses and now favour coastal kampung-style villages having adopted a Malay lifestyle.

The Melanau differ ethnically from the Sarawak Malays, but their dialects, which are distinct from Malay, do not differ sufficiently to constitute a barrier to communication.

They are regarded as fine boat-builders and fishermen. Their economy is supplemented by padi, rubber and sago palm cultivation.

The original religion of the Melanau people was Liko, meaning "people of the river". In the Liko religion, life and the environment are one. Followers worship the spiritual world, including the superior tou spirits and the lesser belum spirits that cause sickness. The pagan Melanau use effigies of sickness spirits when practising healing. These effigies are called berbayah and berayun. Many Melanau today are Christian and Muslim, though they still celebrate traditional animist festivals, most notably Kaul.
Kayan
These former head hunters migrated north into Sarawak from Kalimantan where they settled in their present domain - midway on the Baram River, the upper Rejang River and the lower Tubau River. They still can be found staying in their longhouses.

Kayan women are distinguishable by tattoos on their hands and their legs. It is considered a form of feminine beautification. The tattooing is carried out when a girl is about ten to twelve years old. Men and women used to perforate their earlobes. The men wear leopard's teeth through the hole and the women wear brass or other types of material through the earlobes in order to extend them.

As with all Orang Ulu tribes, the Kayan are great craftsman. They are well known for their boat making skills, which they carve from a single block of belian - the strongest of the tropical hardwoods.

The Kayan population in Sarawak is about 15,000. Although many Kayan have become Christians, some are still pagans, unspoilt by western religions.
Kelabit
The Kelabit, who have close ties to the Lun Bawang, are inhabitants of the Sarawak highlands - the remotest and highest of Borneo's mountains. The elevation here is slightly over 1,200 meters. Because there are few roads and the area is largely inaccessible by river because of rapids, the highlands and the Kelabit are relatively untouched by modern western influences. One major western influence that did penetrate this remote ethnic group was the arrival of Christian missionaries. The Kelabit are now predominantly Christian.

The Kelabit still lead a traditional life in their inherited longhouses. In tight knit communities they practice a generations-old form of agriculture - they are cultivators of wet padi, hill rice, maize, tapioca, pineapple, pumpkin, cucumber, beans and fruit. They are also great hunters and expert fisherman.

The Kelabit also raise buffalo, which they value very highly. Traditionally, the dowry for the upper class bride must consist of at least seven buffaloes.
Kenyah
It has been suggested that the Kenyah are descendants of Bornean aborigines. Other theories suggest that the Kenyah lived as nomads in the Upau Kayan area in Kalimantan and migrated later to the Usun Apau area and the Plieren Valley.

They now live near river headwaters. The Kenyah heartland is Long San, upriver along the Baram River from Long Akah. They live in close. Associations with the Kayan, with whose culture they have much in common though the languages, differ.

The typical Kenyah village consists of only one longhouse up to 400 yards long, built on piles, with a row of family rooms at the back and a wide covered veranda that serves as a general working space and village street. The traditional Kenyah economy is based on the cultivation of dry rice in jungle clearings. The forest is cut and burned, and the rice is planted among the ashes.
Orang Ulu
Orang Ulu literally means "upriver people".

The various Orang Ulu groups collectively number about 100,000 and form roughly 5.5% of Sarawak's population. The description "Orang Ulu" was originally given to the major Kayan and Kenyah tribes, both of whom live in the Upper Rejang and Upper Baram, and smaller neighbouring groups including the Kajang, Kejaman, Punan, Ukit, and Penan.

The definition has been expanded, however, to include mid and down-river groups with cultural similarities - such as the Lun Bawang, Lun Dayeh, Murut and Berawan - and the plateau-dwelling people of the Kelabit Highlands.

The vast majority of Orang Ulu is Christians, of various denominations, but old animistic beliefs still persist in some areas, along with Bungan, a modern adaptation of traditional religions.

The Orang Ulu are probably Borneo's most artistic people; their massive longhouses are ornately decorated with murals and superb woodcarvings, their utensils are embellished with intricate beadwork, and aristocratic ladies cover their hands, arms, legs and feet with finely detailed tattoos.


Orang Ulu are also fine musicians; once experienced, their plaintive praise-songs are never forgotten, and the haunting melody of the mandolin-like sape can be heard in most Kayan and Kenyah longhouses. Orang Ulu longhouses attract few visitors because of their remoteness, but specialist tour operators offer upriver safaris, and adventurous independent travellers are starting to discover the charms of these warm and hospitable people.

Penan
Shy and elusive, the Penan are the only true nomadic people in Sarawak. Among the last of the world's hunter-gatherers, the Penan make their home under the rainforest canopy, deep within the vast expanse of the State's virgin jungle.



Even today, the Penan continues to roam the rainforest hunting wild boar and deer with blowpipes. The Penan make complex mental maps of their territory by naming every feature of the land after an incident that occurred there, such as the death of a favourite hunting dog or the sighting of an unusual bird.

Their staple food is wild-sago, and a nomadic group only stays in one area until the sago supply is exhausted. They supplement their diet by foraging for wild fruits, roots and plants.

On jungle treks a fortunate traveller may cross paths with the Penan on a hunting trip. They suddenly and silently appear out of the dense undergrowth on the trail in front of you as if by magic, such is their skill and stealth in the jungle. It has been suggested that the Penan are descendants of Bornean aborigines. There are two distinct groups of Penan - the eastern and the western Penan. The Eastern Penan live mainly in the Baram and Limbang River areas. The Western Penan are found in the Balui (the upper Rejang area) as well as the Silat River (a tributary of the Baram River).

The Penan is very skilful in making rattan baskets and mats. The quality of these products is extremely good and very durable. The Penan is also well known for the manufacture of the parang (machete).

The traditional Penan religion is animistic. They believe in a supreme god called Bungan. There have been conversions to Christianity among the Penan that no longer live the nomadic life and have settled in longhouses.
Punan
There is a great deal of confusion between the Punan and Penan. The difference is in their language. There are three main Punan dialects that distinguish them from the Penan: Punan Bah-Biau, Punan Batu and Punan-Nibong.

The Punan Bah-Biau are found in Central Sarawak, around Merit on the Rejang River. The Punan Batu have settled west of Long Geng, southeast of Belaga. The Punan-Nibong have settled in the Upper Baram and Balui Rivers and the Nibong branch of the Lobong River, a tributary of the Tinjar River.

The Punan were nomadic hunter-gatherers who roamed the rainforest hunting wild boar and deer with blowpipes and foraged for wild sago, fruits, roots and plants.

Kadazandusun
Kadazandusun group is the largest indigenous group in Sabah. They are actually a collectivity of ethnic groups speaking similar languages and dialects as well as having similarities in culture and traditional beliefs. Within this group there exists at least 10 distinct languages with possibly 30 or more dialects.

There are some people of this Kadazandusun group who prefer to call themselves Dusun, while others particularly in the Penampang/Papar areas prefer the term Kadazan. Many others however prefer to call themselves by tribal names such as Lotud, Rungus, Orang Sungai (River People), Kuijau, Tambanuo etc.

The Kadazandusun are mainly found on the west coast from Kudat to Sarawak border and in the interior areas of Ranau, Tambunan and Keningau. They are traditionally farmers occupying the fertile plains of the West Coast and the interior. The majority of the Kadazandusun peoples are Christian while many also profess Islam with some still classed as pagans.

Rungus
The Rungus have Islam and Christianity while some have remained animists. However, regardless of their religious creed, the Rungus like many other ethnic groups in Sabah, have maintained their cultural and traditional beliefs. This is seen with the continual acceptance and practice of traditional Rungus rites and rituals among the present generation. Today, the Rungus still call upon the services of their ritual specialists known as Bobolizan. There are male and female Bobolizan and they perform specific rites and rituals accordingly.

In selecting the suitability of a new site for their longhouse, the Rungus will invite the service of the male Bobolizan who will initiate a ritual, know as the mamabat. Prayers know as moguhok are chanted a four-string puzzle know as mongumbang is used to ascertain the health and safety of the longhouse residents from evil spirits and beings. Other rituals involve the use of paddy grains, clamshells and prayers in ancient Rungus.

When conducting rituals with the 'spiritual world', the female Bobolizan must wear the sombre black attire consisting of a cotton top known as banat, a sarong and hood known as tapi and kuluvu respectively, and a sash or sandang. To contact spiritual beings, the kamagi, a special beaded necklace is worn and the Bobolizan shakes a rattle called gonding at the start of the 'good' spirits. These rituals may last up to a day while some take at least a week.

Part of their task is healing the ill and one female Bobolizan at Kampung Tinanggol is known to perform a ritual where her ancestors' spirits, sambavan divato are summoned to 'enter' her body and called upon to help the ill person fight off the 'angry' spirits. Certain ceremonies also include traditional ritualistic dances such as the monigigol samundai. As in the old days, the Rungus also perform the dance at the other special festivities without the religious ceremonies, which normally accompany it.

The ritual specialists can also take the role of the local 'doctor' and their intimate knowledge of medicinal herbs and remedies ensure that very much sought after. Indeed the Bobolizan has many roles, and depending on the need, they can be a faith healer, spirit medium, or advisor. In today's age of modern and hi-tech advances, the Bobolizan is part of a vanishing breed especially as the younger generation pursues more lucrative careers.
Bajau
Bajau, the second largest indigenous group, is a collective term for predominantly Muslim peoples and Kindered groups. Originally seafarers there are now two distinct groups, the East Coast Bajau and West Coast Bajau. The West Coast Bajau has now settled down around the Kota Kinabalu to Kota Belud areas and has learnt the art of farming and cattle rearing.

They are the famous cowboys of Sabah. Their skills in horsemanship are well known locally and on festive occasions both horses and riders are dressed in colourful costumes. On the East Coast, however, many of the Sea Bajaus still live in the traditional way. Fishing is the main activity. While many have settled on land or in water villages some are still nomadic boot dwellers.
Murut
Muruts are the third largest indigenous group in Sabah. The Muruts, literally meaning 'hill people', are found mainly in three areas of the Interior Division, Tenom, Keningau and Pensiangan. The Muruts are for the most part shifting cultivator, living in the more remote areas.



They live in communal longhouses, usually near rivers, using the rivers as their highways. They plant hill padi and topioca, hunt and fish for a living and were the last of Sabah's ethnic groups to renounce head hunting.

The men are skilful hunters with blowpipe and spear, and of course their hunting dogs. Mostly converted to Christianity or Islam the Muruts still practise a remarkable form of a bride wealth in which a man on marriage pays bride wealth throughout his life. They are an extremely hospitable people and as in the Kadazandusun group some still refer to themselves by old tribal names such as Timogun, Tagal, Nabas etc.


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Baba - Nyonya

The Baba Nyonya or 'Peranakan' are terms used for the descendents of the early Chinese immigrants of Melaka on the Malay Peninsula. The word Peranakan is also used to describe Indonesian Chinese. In both Malay and Bahasa Indonesia Peranakan means 'descendants'. Babas refer to the male descendants and the Nyonyas the female. Most Peranakan are of Hokkien ancestry, with a few of Teochew or Cantonese descent.

Whether there was ever any intermarriage with the indigenous Malay people is a matter for debate. Written records from the 19th and early 20th centuries show that Peranakan men usually took brides from within the local Peranakan community. Peranakan families also commonly imported brides from China and sent their daughters to China to find husbands. If a Chinese man took a Malay bride, he usually became assimilated into the Malay community and converted to Islam, rather than his bride remaining within the Peranakan community.

By the middle of the 20th century, most Peranakan were English educated, as a result of the British colonisation of Malaya, and the natural propensity of these people to embrace new cultures. Because the Peranakans readily embraced English culture and education, administrative and civil service posts were often filled by prominent Straits Chinese. The Peranakan community thereby became very influential in Melaka and Singapore and were known also as the King's Chinese. Common vocations were as merchants, traders, and general intermediaries between China and the West.

The women (Nyonyas) have taken to wearing the baju kebaya (a Malay dress, seen most notably as the uniform of Malaysia Airlines' female flight attendants). However, most of the Peranakans eschewed Islam, preferring the ancestral worship of the Chinese, although some have now converted to Christianity. The wedding ceremony of the Peranakan is mostly Chinese, and is one of the most fascinating wedding ceremonies in Malaysia.

Their language, Baba Malay, is a dialect of the Malay language, which contains many Hokkien words. It is a dying language and tends to be used only by members of the older generation still use it in daily life.

Malaysian Religions

Introduction

All of the world's major religions have substantial representation in Malaysia, the main adherents of each largely reflecting the multi-ethnic character of the population.

The variety of religions found in Malaysia is a direct reflection of the diversity of races living there. Although Islam is the state religion of Malaysia, freedom of religion is guaranteed. The Malays are almost all Muslims. The Chinese embrace an eclectic brew of Taoism, Buddhism and ancestor worship, though some are Christians. Although Christianity has made no great inroads into Peninsular Malaysia it has had a much greater impact upon East Malaysia, where many indigenious people have converted to Christianity, although others still follow their animist traditions.



Islam

Islam came into this part of the world in C.E. 674 (42 years after the death of Prophet Muhammad, pbuh) when the Umayyad ruler Muawiyah was in power at Damascus. Two hundred years later in C.E. 878 Islam was embraced by people along the coast of Peninsular Malaysia including the port of Klang, which was a well-known trading centre.

Before the arrival of Islam, the local Malays embraced an ancient religion with various forms of belief with some of the population belonging to the Hindu/Buddha religion. Life was structured and arranged in ways that showed the influence of more than one religion.

At the political level, the royal ruler and the head of state in most communities in the Malay world embraced the Islamic religion. The people were impressed and attracted by the provision in the Qur'an and the Hadith that mankind should be ranked on a basis of interpersonal equality.

In Islam there was no discrimination, or division on the basis of colour, class tribal affiliation, race, homeland and birthplace, all of which gave rise to problems. Equal rights seemed the right human solution, which in practice meant the acceptance of rights and obligation as a member of the Muslim Ummah (community).

The local population saw that Islam could extricate them from this bondage and provide the means for the extirpation of social evils. The new religion gave the small man a sense of this individual worth - the dignity of man - as a member of the Ummah.

The efforts of the ulama' in implementing Islamic teachings gradually reached rulers, officials, community leaders and the ordinary people. Their efforts left its mark in such places as Banten (formerly Bantam), East Java, Macassar, Kalimantan, the Southern Philippines, Southern Thailand, Melaka, Trengganu and elsewhere. The ulama' also played a part in the administration, and some of the powerful sultans held firmly to the teachings of Islam.

Buddhism

Indian influence spread well beyond the sub-continent to include South East Asia. That trade was the motivating force in this is clear from the Sanskrit names given to South East Asian ports such as Takkolo (market of cardamom), Karpuradvipa (island of camphor) and Suvarnabhumi (land of gold).

Colonists from India established a number of independent States in the Malay Peninsula during the first five centuries CE. Buddhism (along with Hinduism) may therefore have entered the Malay Peninsula at a very early period, in association with Indian trading and colonising activities in the region. There is evidence for this early contact in the mention of several place names from the peninsula in Pali canonical works such as the Niddesa and the Milindapanha.

Buddhist missionary activities in Malaysia might have occurred as early as the 3rd century CE. After the kingdom of Sri Vijaya fell, Buddhist ideas and practice continued to enter the Malay Peninsula as the northern Malayan States fell under the influence of the Thais, and the southern Malayan States fell under the control of the Javanese empire of Majapahit.

Archaeologists have found evidence of this early Buddhist influence in finds of Buddhist sculptures from the Amaravati School (2nd to 4th century CE) in the present day Malaysian State of Kedah, in the north west of the peninsula. Unfortunately, these finds have not so far included any written evidence, such as inscriptions on stone, from this very early period.




Hinduism

Around nine percent of the population of Malaysia are Tamil Indians, of whom nearly 90 percent are practising Hindus. Hinduism spread to Malaysia very early, and was important until Islam arrived in the 15th century. Traces remain in the Malay language, literature and art.

Indian settlers came to Malaysia from Tamil Nadu in the late 19th and early 20th centuries: labourers to work on rubber plantations and a few English-educated Indians, forerunners of today's professional middle class. There is also a minority from Northern India.

Malaysian Hinduism is diverse, with large urban temples dedicated to specific deities, and smaller temples on estates. The estate temples generally follow the tradition of the Indian region from which the workers originate. Many people follow the Shaivite, or Saivite, tradition (worship of Shiva), of Southern India.

Shaivism is a devotionalist grace-based concept and emphasises love for the deity, rather than fear. Folk Hinduism is most common, including spiritualism, animal sacrifice and worship of local gods.

Since the Second World War a revival of Hinduism has occurred among Indian Malaysians, with the foundation of organisations and councils to bring unity or to promote reform.

Most Hindus do recognise one God, or supreme deity. However, often God is seen as an impersonal force, or one of many gods. Jesus is also likely to be identified as one of many deities.

There are many paths to God. To be 'born again' implies reincarnation.

Sikhism

The Sikh community in Malaysia owes its beginnings in the country to the British connection and in particular with the recruitment of Sikhs for the paramilitary and police units which formed the nucleus from which the modern police and military forces of the nation derived. The first of these units was the Perak Sikhs.

The Sikhs believe and worship the one and only God who is formless. Hence, idol worship is denounced by the Sikh scriptures. The Sikhs' place of worship is known as a 'Gurdwara' which is open to all irrespective of race, religion, colour or sex.

The Sikhs celebrate the principal festival which is also the Sikh New Year that is called Vasakhi , each April and the birthdays and martyrdom of Sikh Gurus and the installation of the Holy Guru Granth Sahib as the 'living Guru of the Sikhs for all times', amongst others.

Christianity

Francis Xavier set foot in Malaya in 1545, and in 1814 Robert Morrison began work in Melaka, where his Chinese translation of the New Testament was later printed. During the 1800s other churches were planted among the British settlers and government servants but, because of an understanding between the British government and the sultans, evangelistic work was not permitted among Muslims.

Meanwhile, in East Malaysia, Anglicans and Methodists were at work among the animist tribal peoples.

Malaysia Culture

Cultures have been meeting and mixing in Malaysia since the very beginning of its history. More than fifteen hundred years ago a Malay kingdom in Bujang Valley welcomed traders from China and India. With the arrival of gold and silks, Buddhism and Hinduism also came to Malaysia. A thousand years later, Arab traders arrived in Malacca and brought with them the principles and practices of Islam. By the time the Portuguese arrived in Malaysia, the empire that they encountered was more cosmopolitan than their own.

Malaysia's cultural mosaic is marked by many different cultures, but several in particular have had especially lasting influence on the country. Chief among these is the ancient Malay culture, and the cultures of Malaysia's two most prominent trading partners throughout history--the Chinese, and the Indians. These three groups are joined by a dizzying array of indigenous tribes, many of which live in the forests and coastal areas of Borneo. Although each of these cultures has vigorously maintained its traditions and community structures, they have also blended together to create contemporary Malaysia's uniquely diverse heritage.




One example of the complexity with which Malaysia's immigrant populations have contributed to the nation's culture as a whole is the history of Chinese immigrants. The first Chinese to settle in the straits, primarily in and around Malacca, gradually adopted elements of Malaysian culture and intermarried with the Malaysian community. Known as babas and nonyas, they eventually produced a synthetic set of practices, beliefs, and arts, combining Malay and Chinese traditions in such a way as to create a new culture. Later Chinese, coming to exploit the tin and rubber booms, have preserved their culture much more meticulously. A city like Penang, for example, can often give one the impression of being in China rather than in Malaysia.

Another example of Malaysia's extraordinary cultural exchange the Malay wedding ceremony, which incorporates elements of the Hindu traditions of southern India; the bride and groom dress in gorgeous brocades, sit in state, and feed each other yellow rice with hands painted with henna. Muslims have adapted the Chinese custom of giving little red packets of money (ang pau) at festivals to their own needs; the packets given on Muslim holidays are green and have Arab writing on them.

You can go from a Malaysian kampung to a rubber plantation worked by Indians to Penang's Chinese kongsi and feel you've traveled through three nations. But in cities like Kuala Lumpur, you'll find everyone in a grand melange. In one house, a Chinese opera will be playing on the radio; in another they're preparing for Muslim prayers; in the next, the daughter of the household readies herself for classical Indian dance lessons.

Perhaps the easiest way to begin to understand the highly complex cultural interaction which is Malaysia is to look at the open door policy maintained during religious festivals. Although Malaysia's different cultural traditions are frequently maintained by seemingly self-contained ethnic communities, all of Malaysia's communities open their doors to members of other cultures during a religious festival--to tourists as well as neighbors. Such inclusiveness is more than just a way to break down cultural barriers and foster understanding. It is a positive celebration of a tradition of tolerance that has for millennia formed the basis of Malaysia's progress.

Malaysia History

Malaysia's recorded history dates back to the first century BC. Located strategically at the crossroads between the East and West, Peninsula Malaysia had attracted early travellers from different parts of the world.

Evidence of ancient civilisations such as tomb stones can be found in Bujang Valley and Merbok Valley in the state of Kedah, as well as Hindu-Buddhist influences from India and China.

Islamic influence came during the Melaka Sultanate in the 1400s with traders from the Middle East and India. It spread across the nation when the Sultan of Melaka embraced the religion and personally helped spread it across the nation. The reign of the Sultanate also created trade ties with the Kingdom of China.


Melaka's spice trade led to its attack by the Portuguese in 1511, resulting in the fall of the Sultanate. Together with their conquest, the Portuguese brought in Catholic Christianity to the locals. But in 1641 the Dutch took over control of Melaka. The British came at the end of the 18th century in the wake of the Industrial Revolution in Europe.
They formed crown colony states of the Peninsular called the Straits Settlements and subtly intervened in the administration of the previously independent states.

In East Malaysia, Sabah became a British protectorate under the Chartered Company, British North Borneo, whilst the Brooke family ruled Sarawak as the White Rajah, meaning the White King, for 100 years. In 1941, the Japanese invaded the country and ruled for about three years before their surrender to the Allied Forces after the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima.The end of World War II was the beginning of the birth of nationalism in the country.

On August 31, 1957 at 9.00am, Tunku Abdul Rahman (who became the first Prime Minister) read the Proclamation of Independence and declared the Malay States of Malaya "with God's blessing, shall forever be a sovereign democratic and independent state…" Freedom had been won peacefully. In 1963 Malaya, Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak joined hands to form Malaysia (but Singapore seceded in 1965).


Since independence Malaysia has had five Prime Ministers namely, Tunku Abdul Rahman (known as Father of Independence), Tun Razak (Father of Development), Tun Hussein Onn (Father of Unity),Tun Dr Mahathir ( who was born in 1925 is the longest running leader in Asia having been Prime Minister since 1981. ) and the current Prime Minister Dato' Seri Najib bin Tun Abd Razak.

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